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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25373683">First Flight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/madridistagoblue/pseuds/madridistagoblue'>madridistagoblue</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Armitage Hux Lives, Didn't Know They Were Dating, Fluff and Humor, Love Confessions, M/M, X-Wing(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:14:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,756</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25373683</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/madridistagoblue/pseuds/madridistagoblue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>As part of a charity event, Hux agrees to let Poe take him for a ride in an X-Wing. Hux is anxious to take flight with such a reckless flyboy. But perhaps more terrifying than Poe's barrel rolls may be the feelings Hux is hiding within.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Poe Dameron/Armitage Hux</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>81</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Gingerpilot Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>First Flight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for Gingerpilot Week<br/>Day 7: First Time</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re not going to make me wear one of these horrid orange flight suits, are you?”</p>
<p>Poe sighed and held out an X-Wing flight suit with a shrug of his shoulders. “They don’t really come in many colors. And I can’t take you up there unprepared.”</p>
<p>“I’d rather not go at all.” Hux folded his arms behind his back, staring at the flight suit with disdain. “Maybe it won’t fit and I won’t be able to go.”</p>
<p>“These flight suits are specified to fit a hundred twenty-three distinct species, in various size ranges. I think we can find one to fit you.” Poe shook the suit in his hand, urging Hux to take it. “Remember, it’s all for charity.”</p>
<p>Hux frowned, but relaxed his arms, reaching out and snatching the suit from Poe’s hands with a huff. “We already raised one hundred thousand credits, far surpassing the goal of ten thousand,” he said, walking towards the bed to change. “I hardly see why this is necessary.”</p>
<p>“It was an incentive to donate. Who wouldn’t want to pay to see a hologram of you experiencing your first x-wing barrel roll? I did.”</p>
<p>Hux tossed the offending uniform onto the bed. “I’m glad you take such personal pleasure from my suffering,” he scoffed, as he undid the buttons of his shirt.</p>
<p>“You didn’t have to agree to this.” Poe shrugged, and walked over to the closet opposite the bed. He pushed the door switch and retrieved his own flight suit.</p>
<p>“When you owe the galaxy as many hours of service as I do, you don’t have room to be choosy,” Hux said, folding his shirt neatly on the bed.</p>
<p>“Oh, poor General Hux,” Poe mockingly lamented, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it onto the floor. “Sentenced to community service for war crimes.”</p>
<p>“It’s more complicated than that, and you know it,” Hux retorted, as he began undoing his slacks. “I served time. And, as I recall, no one forced you to vouch for me in front of the Republic Tribunal.”</p>
<p>“Will you ever learn to take teasing?” Poe asked, his pants joining his shirt in a heap on the floor.</p>
<p>“Will you ever learn to hold your tongue?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“Then, no.”</p>
<p>Hux hesitated as he unzipped the flight suit, assessing how to put it on. He looked over at Poe, who was already examining the suit’s peripherals, double-checking the life support box as he attached it securely to his chest. Resigned to his fate, Hux slipped the suit on. It was, fortunately, looser and more comfortable than he had imagined.</p>
<p>“All ready?” Poe asked, walking over to Hux. He ran a hand over Hux’s flak vest, checking for damage, and helped him properly adjust his life support box.</p>
<p>“I must look ridiculous.”</p>
<p>“Nah,” Poe replied, but his expression was a bit hesitant. “It…matches your hair.”</p>
<p>Hux closed his eyes and shook his head, letting out a small sigh. He’d try to avoid passing any mirrors in his completely orange appearance. “Let’s just get this over with.”</p>
<p>“Hey, Beebee!” Poe yelled. On cue, the droid rolled into the room, moving his head up and down excitedly on his round body, and chirping with enthusiasm. “Ready to take Hux on his first flight?”</p>
<p>BB-8 spun in a circle, continuing to beep with excitement.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I know buddy,” Poe said, bending down and giving the droid a small pat on the head. “I’m excited too. I think he’s going to love it.”</p>
<p>“Well, don’t be too disappointed when I don’t,” Hux said. He was watching the scene with far less amusement. He walked out of the room in front of Poe and BB-8, no longer wanting to delay the inevitable.</p>
<p>BB-8’s body perked up as he noticed Hux leaving, rushing to beat him out of the house.  </p>
<p>It was a short walk from the house to the open field where Poe had parked the X-Wing fighter. Fortunately, Hux had worked with their sponsor – a local organization trying to help children orphaned by the war find stable homes – to set aside the field all week for charity flights. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have put it past Poe to simply park here and surprise the neighbors.</p>
<p>The X-Wing looked far larger in person than Hux imagined, having only seen them at a distance from the safety of the bridge on large star destroyers. This one was grey in color with blue markings on the side of the cockpit and on the iconic four wings. Poe’s personal fighter – Black One – was too small to accommodate more than one person, so he’d had to borrow a band new model for the charity flights. Hux would be the first to fly with him, and their flight would be recorded to use as an advertisement on the holonet.</p>
<p>Poe lifted BB-8 into the x-wing, securing the astromech droid into place before hopping into the cockpit.</p>
<p>“Ready Hux?” Poe asked, extending a hand to help him up.</p>
<p>Swallowing his nerves – and his pride – Hux lifted a hand and allowed Poe to assist him.</p>
<p>Hux buckled himself into a small seat directly behind Poe and spread his legs around the pilot’s seat. To his right and left were gunner controls that he didn’t dare touch.</p>
<p>“You ok back there?” Poe asked, as he strapped himself in. “You look a bit nervous.”</p>
<p>“I can’t say I like cramped spaces. The last time I was in anything this small, I was escaping the First Order in a pod after getting shot.”</p>
<p>“So, is this your first time in a real starfighter, then?” Poe pulled two helmets out from the front of the cockpit and passed one back.</p>
<p>“I’ve flown a TIE years ago,” Hux replied, as he adjusted his helmet. “I’ve had extensive training in all military disciplines. But I can’t say I cared for it.”</p>
<p>“Well, maybe a good flight will change your mind.”</p>
<p>“Would you bet credits on it?” Hux asked.</p>
<p>“With how stubborn you are?” Poe smiled and shook his head. “I think I’ll pass.”</p>
<p>“More stubborn than you?”</p>
<p>“That remains to be seen,” Poe said. He ran his hand over some controls on the dashboard of the cockpit, checked his helmet, and gave a thumbs up.</p>
<p>“Ready. Beebee?” Poe asked into his helmet’s headset. There was a moment’s pause as the droid replied. “I’ll initiate the launch in five, have the holoscanner ready to record.” He turned his head towards Hux and winked. “Hold on tight!”</p>
<p>The launch was smoother than Hux had anticipated. He was used to thinking of X-Wings as old technology, but that assumption was based on the ships the Resistance had salvaged from the Rebellion to improvise an army from scratch. This was a state-of-the-art new model, and the ascent into space was as smooth as most other spacecraft, aside from a slight jerkiness that was the result of flying any craft this size. Fortunately, having spent most of his life off-planet, Hux didn’t get space sickness easily. It was when they exited the atmosphere into the dark void of space that Hux began to truly worry.</p>
<p>“Ok, Hux. Ready to give the people what they want?” Poe asked.</p>
<p>“Do what you must, Dameron,” Hux said, squeezing his eyes shut. He didn’t want to watch as Poe pulled down on the controls, twisting the starfighter nose up. Hux was grateful for the feeling of weightlessness that space offered, as Poe maneuvered the craft into a roll. The G-forces would have felt unbearable back on planet. His usually strong stomach twisted, and – despite himself – he wrapped his arms around Poe’s back for support. He bit down on his lip, not wanting to give the hologram viewers the satisfaction of hearing him scream. But, as Poe went into the maneuver a second time, Hux found himself squinting his eyes open.</p>
<p>Poe’s back muscles were strong and firm underneath Hux’s grip. He looked completely calm as he manipulated the controls, his normally irreverent demeanor replaced by complete focus. Hux knew Poe Dameron had been called “the best pilot in the Resistance,” for a reason. The statistics spoke for themselves, as well as the pilot’s former rank of General and current position as Chief Officer of the Republic’s X-Wing division. But seeing it in person was something else entirely. The X-Wing looped into a second roll, but this time, Hux felt less ill at ease. There was something marvelous about Poe’s precise control of such a wild maneuver.</p>
<p>Poe stabilized the X-Wing back into its normal position and Hux threw his head back in relief. It really hadn’t been so bad, after all, but he was happy not to repeat the exercise again. But as he looked up through the transparent roof of the cockpit, he noticed something large hanging overhead.</p>
<p>“Meteor incoming! Watch out!” Hux yelled, tightening his grip around Poe. Poe’s body didn’t so much as twitch.</p>
<p>“Beebee, help me get out of range of this thing,” Poe commanded into his headset. With steady hands, he pushed the X-Wing forward at speed. Something on the control panel beeped – likely signaling something the astromech droid had done – and the craft took off faster than before. Poe titled the nose of the X-Wing downward, diverting course from the path of the meteor, then once safely out of range, stabilized again.</p>
<p>“Well, that was fun,” Poe said, in a cheerful tone that Hux couldn’t differentiate between a joke and genuine enthusiasm. Yes, Poe Dameron was slightly insane. But amazing, in his own right.</p>
<p>“Anywhere you want to go?” Poe asked.</p>
<p>“Not particularly,” Hux replied, unclasping his hands from around Poe slowly, with minimal flourish, as if to pretend they’d never been there at all.</p>
<p>“You don’t have to let go, if you don’t want to,” Poe said, betraying Hux’s intentions.</p>
<p>Hux felt heat rise in his cheeks. It wasn’t as though he were uncomfortable around Poe. They’d been living together for some years now, out of necessity in the aftermath of the war. They knew one another’s habits, teased one another, and divided up the household chores. As time passed, they grew physically attracted to one another as well. They had sex together and had even recently begun sharing a bed.</p>
<p>But Hux rarely spoke of his admiration for Poe’s other qualities. Poe masked his fears with a mix of brashness and irreverent humor, but behind it all was a man with a resolute will and an unwavering heart. He believed strongly in his ideals, but in an uncompromising way that Hux had not thought possible. Poe had the sort of qualities Hux had been raised to believe a leader should have: strength, charisma, fighting spirit, and a sense of purpose. And yet it came with none of the ruthlessness and narcissism Hux had learned to believe was necessary. It was a type of leadership Hux had never seen up close and might have taken on the surface for weakness. But he’d seen for himself that the kindness, patience, and forgiveness Poe regularly showed to others required paramount strength.</p>
<p>Now, watching Poe’s top-level skills as a pilot up close, Hux found himself admitting the truth to himself for the first time. He wasn’t just attracted to Poe for his smile, his stylish hair, or his strong body. He longed to be cherished by the man himself – the person who had become both his best friend and his family. But Hux doubted Poe would ever admire him in the same way -- not after his actions in the past. He felt grateful to be wearing a helmet with a shield over his face. He might not be able to suppress the color rising to his cheeks, but his feelings would remain unnoticed and unspoken.</p>
<p>Hux choose to keep his arms down at his sides as he looked out the windows all around him. Stars of all visible sizes shone through the blackness of space. Planets came into view in the distance. And as they traveled, a large pink and blue nebula became visible, illuminating this darkness in breathtaking technicolor.</p>
<p>“You’re very brave,” Poe said suddenly, interrupting the silence.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“I thought we’d get some funny footage of you screaming or swearing or making a fuss. You get riled up easily, sometimes, and I know you were pretty hesitant to take this flight. But instead I got reminded that you have a lot of strength under pressure. It’s probably what made you a good general.”</p>
<p>“Even though I had to hang onto you?”</p>
<p>Poe laughed. “Trust me, even I felt a little nervous on my first barrel roll.”</p>
<p>“So, you’re not disappointed that I didn’t give you anything amusing for the advertisement?”</p>
<p>“Maybe a little bit.” Poe chuckled, and Hux tried to suppress how much the sound of it made him want to smile. “But I should have realized that you’re too strong and stubborn to show that side of you publicly. And that’s ok. When you put your mind to something, you can be incredibly strong. And I like that, about you. I think it’s neat.”</p>
<p>If Hux hadn’t been blushing before, he was now. He could feel the sweat forming on his palms and his brow. So, Poe admired him too? But if that was the case…</p>
<p>Hux felt his heart begin to race inside of his chest, even stronger that it had beaten during the barrel roll. He was afraid to speak his mind and potentially cause damage to the intimacy that already existed between Poe and himself. But what better place was there to confess than here in the vastness of space, where Poe looked so content and at peace? If Poe were upset by his feelings, then maybe they could come back down planetside – which is what Hux wanted, after all.</p>
<p>“Poe?”</p>
<p>The use of his first name made Poe turn his head slightly.</p>
<p>“What is it? Is there somewhere you want to go?”</p>
<p>“I was wondering if you’ve ever considered…I’m not sure how you refer to this casually? Courtship? Becoming a couple?”</p>
<p>“Dating?” Poe suggested.</p>
<p>“Yes, that. Would you consider it with me?”</p>
<p>“Wait…” Poe replied, shaking his head. Hux couldn’t see his expression from behind him, but he seemed confused. “But…I thought we were already dating.”</p>
<p>Hux felt as though his heartbeat stopped momentarily.</p>
<p>“Excuse me? When did we establish this?”</p>
<p>“I mean, now that you mention it, I guess neither of us really asked,” Poe said, considering it. “But we live together. We manage the house together. We’ve shared our secrets with one another, and even risked our lives for one another. We raise BB-8 together. We share a bed together. I guess…I didn’t really think I needed to ask.”</p>
<p>“And, see, this is the problem I still have with the brazen attitudes you have in the Republic! There’s a certain order to things. A proper way they should done. Something as important…”</p>
<p>“Armitage Hux, will you date me?”</p>
<p>“…as this should…W-what?”</p>
<p>“Armitage Hux. Will you date me?”</p>
<p>Hux paused for a moment, the meaning of Poe’s question truly dawning on him. The wild beating in his chest slowed, and he breathed slowly in and out. For some reason, he thought he’d be more excited to hear Poe ask. But, instead, he mostly felt at peace. As though this was the way things were and should be. Perhaps, Poe was right. Maybe they’d practically been dating this whole time. Hux took one more deep breath and replied: “I thought you’d never ask.”</p>
<p>“I’d kiss you, but my helmet is on,” Poe said, tapping on the protective gear with his hand.</p>
<p>“I’d rather you didn’t. You’re the only thing keeping this X-Wing in flight.”</p>
<p>“I can put it on autopilot for Beebee.”</p>
<p>“Don’t you dare…”</p>
<p>“Hey! Don’t insult Beebee. We’re dating now. You want to stay on his good side.”</p>
<p>This time, Hux couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face.</p>
<p>“Anyway, I’m happy to take you back to the ground, if you’d like,” Poe said. “We can celebrate there.”</p>
<p>“I think I’d actually like to continue our flight for a little while longer,” Hux replied, looking back out the windows at the lights and colors. He wrapped his arms around Poe once more, this time surrounding his waist. “It’s more peaceful than I expected.”</p>
<p>“I told you you’d love it.” Hux was sure a large smirk was plastered on Poe’s face, if only he could see it.</p>
<p>“Alright, you win this time,” Hux acquiesced. “But next time we fly, I want a different color flight suit.”</p>
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